[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 2, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11435-11436]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4669]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice--Computer Matching between the U.S. Department of 
Education and the Social Security Administration.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act 
of 1988, Public Law 100-503, the Computer Matching and Privacy 
Protections Amendments of 1990, Pub. L. 101-508, and Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) guidance on the conduct of computer 
matching programs, notice is hereby given of the renewal of the 
computer matching program between the U.S. Department of Education (ED) 
(recipient agency), and the Social Security Administration (SSA) 
(source agency). This renewal of the computer matching program between 
SSA and ED will become effective as explained in this notice.
    In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as 
amended, OMB Final Guidance Interpreting the Provisions of Public Law 
100-503, the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988, 
published in the Federal Register on June 19, 1989 (54 FR 25818), and 
OMB Circular No. A-130, Transmittal Memorandum 4, Management 
of Federal Information Resources (November 28, 2000) we provide the 
following information:

1. Names of Participating Agencies

    The U.S. Department of Education and the Social Security 
Administration.

2. Purpose of the Match

    The purpose of this matching program between ED and SSA is to 
assist the Secretary of Education with verification of immigration 
status and Social Security numbers (SSNs) under 20 U.S.C. 1091(g) and 
(p). SSA will verify the issuance of an SSN to, and will confirm the 
citizenship status, as recorded in SSA's records, of those students and 
parents applying for aid under a student financial assistance program 
authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (HEA). Verification of this information by SSA will help ED 
satisfy its obligation to ensure that individuals applying for 
financial assistance meet eligibility requirements imposed by the HEA.
    Verification by this computer matching program effectuates the 
purpose of the HEA because it provides an efficient and comprehensive 
method

[[Page 11436]]

of verifying the accuracy of each individual's SSN and claim to a 
citizenship status that permits that individual to qualify for Title 
IV, HEA assistance.

3. Authority for Conducting the Matching Program

    ED is authorized to participate in the matching program under 
sections 484(p) (20 U.S.C. 1091(p)); 484(g) (20 U.S.C. 1091(g)); 
483(a)(12) (20 U.S.C. 1090(a)(12)); and 428B(f)(2) (20 U.S.C. 1078-
2(f)(2)) of the HEA.
    SSA is authorized to participate in the matching program under 
section 1106(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1306(a)) and the 
regulations promulgated pursuant to that section (20 CFR part 401).

4. Categories of Records and Individuals Covered by the Match

    The Federal Student Aid Application File (18-11-01), which contains 
the information to determine an applicant's eligibility for Federal 
student financial assistance, and the ED personal information number 
(PIN) Registration System of Records (18-11-12), which contains the 
applicant's information to receive an ED PIN, will be matched against 
SSA's Master Files of Social Security Number Holders and SSN 
Applications System, SSA/OS, 60-0058, which maintains records about 
each individual who has applied for and obtained an SSN.

5. Effective Dates of the Matching Program

    This matching program must be approved by the Data Integrity Board 
of each agency. The computer matching agreement will become effective 
on the last of the following dates: (1) April 10, 2011; (2) 40 days 
after the approved agreement and report on the matching program are 
sent to Congress and OMB (or later if OMB objects to some or all of the 
agreement) unless OMB waives 10 days of this 40-day period for 
compelling reasons shown, in which case 30 days after transmission of 
the report to Congress and OMB; or (3) 30 days after publication of 
this notice in the Federal Register.
    The matching program will continue for 18 months after the 
effective date and may be extended for an additional 12 months 
thereafter, if the conditions specified in 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(2)(D) have 
been met.

6. Address for Receipt of Public Comments or Inquiries

    Individuals wishing to comment on this matching program, or to 
obtain additional information about the program, including a copy of 
the computer matching agreement between ED and SSA, should contact 
Leroy Everett, Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Department of 
Education, Union Center Plaza, 830 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 
20202-5454. Telephone: (202) 377-3265. If you use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll 
free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document in an 
accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) by contacting the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You can view this document, as well as all other documents of this 
Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable 
Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: February 25, 2011.
James W. Runcie,
Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of 
Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-4669 Filed 3-1-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P